The Caribbean Vulnerable Communities Coalition (CVC) and its partners El Centro de Orientación e Investigación Integral (COIN), The Caribbean Forum for Liberation and Acceptance of Genders and Sexualities (CariFLAGs), The Caribbean Sex Work Coalition (CSWC), The Caribbean Regional Network of People Living With HIV/AIDS (CRN+) and technical partners The Faculty of Law UWI Rights Advocacy Project (U-RAP), the UWI HIV&AIDS Response Program (UWI-HARP), and the United National Development Program (UNDP) as the Primary Recipient (PR) were successful in the submission of the regional grant to the Global Fund.

The grant will be implemented in Belize, Jamaica, Guyana, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago primarily by CVC and Cuba, Dominican Republic and Haiti primarily by COIN. This project aims to reduce the spread of HIV across the Caribbean by focusing on its impact on key populations (KP's), including people living with HIV, men who have sex with men, transgender people, sex workers, people who use drugs, and young people belonging to any of these groups. By supporting activities that focus on reducing or removing the barriers of stigma, discrimination, and providing redress for rights breaches, the project will allow for the full integration of key populations into national HIV responses.

The main outputs of the project are:

Output 1: Improved legal and policy environments support delivery of and access to health and justice services for key populations

Activity Result 1.1 Legal and policy environment assessment and law reform

Activity Result 1.2 Legal aid services and legal literacy

Activity Result 1.3 Community-based Monitoring of Legal rights

Activity Result 1.4 Policy advocacy on legal rights

Activity Result 1.5 Other-Protection for Human Rights defenders

Output 2: Increased capacity of health care workers to deliver stigma and discrimination free services in order to improve access to and retention in care for key populations

Activity Result 2.1 Scaling up support to health and community workers to improve access and retention in care

Output 3: Strengthening of Community systems and key population networks to use effective advocacy strategies to obtain social accountability mechanisms and scale-up of best practice interventions by national programmes.

Activity Result 3.1 Social mobilization, building community linkages, collaboration and coordination

Activity Result 3.2 Institutional capacity building, planning and leadership development

Activity Result 3.3 Advocacy for social accountability

Activity Result 3.4 Support GBV responses amongst Key Populations

Output 4: Grant Management

BACKGROUND

The Global Fund recognizes the importance of strengthening community systems as a mechanism for ensuring that health programs are comprehensive and respond to the needs of marginalized groups. Integral to the response is the need to build awareness of and receptivity to the contributions that Key Population communities can and must make to the continuum of HIV case in the context of the 90-90-90 goals.

FUNDING PRIORITIES

CVC is pleased to announce funding for small grants to support model peer to peer interventions that increase access to testing and health services.

The intention of the small grant is to support the roll-out of civil society organisation (CSO) programs and linkages with their respective National AIDS Program (NAP) to be focused on the 90-90-90 goals and re-training CSOs to adapt to the needs of the continuum model.

CVC will support grant applications which fall under the following general areas:

Community strategies to enhance uptake of HIV counselling and testing

Referral and linkage to health services

Initiation and retention on antiretroviral therapy

Achieving viral suppression

Indicated below are a series of proposed activities that would be eligible for funding:

Innovative peer intervention methods for reaching KPs for testing and diagnosis including details of the resources required to facilitate access of KPs to services which will result in an improvement of their health outcomes across the continuum of care.

Delivery of confidential testing services and develop a referral system to link those who are positive to the formal health care system for treatment.

Training and deployment of Peer Navigators to improve KP access to services and/or support the development of KP friendly quality care healthcare facilities.

A system of follow-up that connects the HIV testing service/site and the HIV treatment centre and ensures that the referred-to-care patient arrives and enrolls in treatment.

Implementation of systems to improve the referral process and services available between healthcare providers to reduce loss to follow-up.

Innovative use of technology to improve adherence and other aspects of the care.

Trainings and other interventions with health care workers support the delivery of stigma and discrimination free services in order to improve access to and retention in care for key populations

Strengthening CSO partnership with NAPs and MoH to enhance community health systems and improve KPs health outcomes across the continuum of care.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO APPLY

Civil Society Organizations serving key populations that are based in any of the following countries: Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, Guyana, Belize and Suriname.

FUNDING LIMIT

Each organization may apply for an award of up to $40,000.00 USD to support project-related costs for up to 12 months.

REVIEW PROCESS

All proposals will be considered and reviewed by a Committee, which will take into account the organizations past grant performance, adherence to reporting requirements and deadlines, as well as proposal for strengthening and expanding its current work. Project proposals will be reviewed and scored against the Application Form and Budget Proposal and the following criteria:

Criteria

Scores

Is the proposed action to be implemented in one of the following countries: Belize, Guyana, Jamaica, Suriname or Trinidad & Tobago?

(If Yes, please indicate country: ____________________)

(If No, the proposal is not eligible for further review and funding)

Yes / No

Proposal clearly indicates the key population(s) to be served by this proposed action? (e.g. female sex as opposed to vulnerable women)

(If Yes, please specify the key population: ______________)

(If Not KP-focused, the proposal is not eligible for further review and funding)

Yes / No

How relevant is the proposal to the project objectives and funding priorities indicated in the Call for Proposals?

10

Is the proposal based on strong serological and behavioural evidence and on evidence as to which kinds of intervention are most effective?

10

How coherent is the overall design of the action?

Is the action feasible? Does it reflect an analysis of the issues involved? Addresses the needs and constraints of the target population? Addresses factors that may impact implementation? Identifies relevant stakeholders?

10

Does the proposal demonstrate that the CSO has or will have adequate resources (human, technical, CSO/NAP partnership, materials, etc.) to implement the proposed action? Does the project use resources effectively and efficiently to get the biggest “bang for the buck?”

10

Will the project result in increased CSO organizational capacity to enhance community health systems?

10

Total score

50

CONFIDENTIALITY AND COMMUNICATIONS

CVC respects the privacy of the applicant and is committed to protecting from disclosure any confidential or proprietary information contained in a submitted proposal. While we will make every effort to ensure confidentiality in these situations, CVC, cannot guarantee complete confidentiality and/or be held liable for the disclosure of information that causes harm to individuals or groups associated with funded projects.

Groups should be aware that any information provided carries the risk of being shared publicly through open dialogue about funding priorities, peer review processes, and communications about the project, decisions, and reported outcomes. Submission of a funding application is deemed to indicate the applicant’s understanding and acceptance of these risks.

REQUIREMENTS AND RESTRICTIONS

CVC seeks to support quality and accountable programs. Therefore, all organizations funded through this grant-process will be required to provide monthly, mid-term and final reports, and will be required to utilize the community web-based M&E platform and database designed by CVC specifically for its partners.

Organizations should be able and ready to document appropriate financial and accounting controls, including measures to prevent duplicated use or misappropriation of funds. CVC/COIN will provide close technical support and financial oversight of all mini-grants awarded.

About the CVC

About Us

Caribbean Vulnerable Communities (CVC) is a coalition of community leaders and non-governmental agencies providing services directly to and on behalf of Caribbean populations who are especially vulnerable to HIV infection or often forgotten in access to treatment and healthcare programmes.